General grants for festivals and large public events

Non-profit organizations that are registered and have been operating for at least one year are eligible to apply for support. 

Grants can be awarded for:  

• Cultural events that have been organized at least twice and have a duration of 2–10 days
• One-day cultural events, if their significance in their field of art is particularly high 

Grants can only be awarded for activities that comply with the general principles of grants of the City of Tampere. 

Grants cannot be awarded for:  

• Small-scale public events that are considered to fall under Project Grants for Culture category
• National associations
• Activities where any potential profit is used for the benefit of the owners

The application period for grants is once a year (in November). Applications are submitted via an electronic application form. 

All applicants must submit the following documents in addition to the application form:

• action plan for the year for which the grant is sought
• budget for the year for which the grant is sought
• community rules or articles of association of a public benefit company (unless previously submitted or the document has changed)

New applicants or applicants who have received a grant before 2024 must also submit the following documents approved by the association’s annual meeting:

• the actual budget/financial report for the most recent festival/event
• the latest financial statements signed by the governing body or responsible persons, including the income statement and balance sheet with notes and the annual report. The income statement must show the calculations for each account, sub-account, and cost center.
• the latest statement by the auditors and/or performance auditors (audit/performance audit report) 

Did your organization receive a grant last year? 

The use of general grants is reported on a separate reporting form. The grant recipient must provide information and documents that allow the grantor to monitor the proper use of the grant. 

If the association has activities other than those for which the grant has been awarded, the documents must clearly show the content and costs of the activities for which the grant has been awarded.

If the grant in the previous financial year was at least 50 000 euros, the organization must also submit: 

• Any memos and minutes from auditors and/or operational inspectors from the previous financial year
• A breakdown of the balance sheet and a certified or signed extract from the annual meeting minutes regarding the section where the above-mentioned annual report and financial statements were addressed 

If the grant in the previous financial year was at least 100 000 euros, the organization must also submit: 

• The financial regulations, showing how the organization’s finances are managed and supervised. 

When awarding a grant, the need for support by the organization is taken into account. Applications are evaluated based on the following criteria:

Relevance of activities to the objectives of the grant 

• The activities increase the diversity of the city’s cultural offerings
• The activities promote residents’ participation and well-being, accessibility of culture, equality, and cultural interaction
• Ecological sustainability is considered in the activities
• The activities promote networking and cooperation with other actors 

Number of participants and scope of activities in Tampere 

• The activities are established and regular
• The activities reach a wide audience
• Duration of the event and the extent of the program
• Total number of event attendees
• Number of people employed by the organization (all those who have received salary or fees from the organization)
• Number of volunteers working for the organization 

Planning and goal-orientation of activities 

• There are clear plans and descriptions of the activities and their objectives
• The activities are evaluated and developed according to needs 

Financing of activities 

• The organization needs the grant, but its overall financial situation is stable
• The grant is always partial funding. The recipient must also have its own fundraising to organize the activities
• Own fundraising is balanced in relation to the costs of the activities and the grants received
• The grant recipient cannot pay salaries or fees that are unreasonably high; a disproportionately large share of administrative costs in the previous financial year’s total expenses will reduce the grant 

Quality and impact of activities 

• High quality of the event’s cultural content
• Professional implementation of the event
• The significance of the event in its field locally, regionally, nationally, and/or internationally
• The event’s growth potential and continuity

The decision on the grants is made by the Culture and Leisure Committee. Applicants are notified of the decision by email. The city may set specific conditions for the use of the grant, which will be communicated to the recipient when the grant is awarded. The grant may only be used for the purpose specified in the grant decision. If the purpose is not specified in more detail in the decision, the grant must be used for the purpose stated in the application. 

Grants are paid once the decision has become legally binding, unless otherwise stated in the decision or if specific payment conditions are set. If the grant decision does not specify the payment schedule, grants are paid as follows: 

• grants under 10 000 euros are paid in one instalment
• grants of 10 000 - 49 999 euros are paid in two instalments
• grants of 50 000 - 99 999 euros are paid in four instalments
• grants of 100 000 euros or more are paid monthly 

Grants can be applied to expenditure that is needed for the financed operations and is moderate in amount. Grants cannot be used for business or investment activities. The acquisition of fixed assets is supported with a grant only for a justified reason. 

The grant must be used during the year in which it has been awarded. If the grant remains unused, it must either be returned or an extension to its period of use must be applied for. 

It is required of the grant recipient that purchases are made responsibly. If salaries or compensation are paid from the grant issued, the recipient of the grant must take care of the withholding tax and other statutory payments. 

Use of the Tampere.Finland logo 

As part of the grant community’s own marketing, the Tampere.Finland logo is recommended for use. In situations where the funding of operations is publicly communicated, Tampere’s coat of arms is always used in referring to the City of Tampere. You can download the logos from the Tampere brand page.

No cooperation with the Russian state 

As a result of the Russian invasion of Ukraine, associations and communities receiving general or premises grants from the City of Tampere are not allowed to cooperate with the Russian state or its official representatives. If this is deemed to have happened, the full amount of the general grant will be recovered and any premises grant will be refused, and no further grant or other support from the City of Tampere will be awarded to the organisation. This condition is based on the policy that the Finnish state has towards Russia's war of aggression against Ukraine. The City of Tampere will comply with the Finnish Government's policy. 

The use of general grants is reported in connection with the next grant application. If necessary, additional clarifications regarding the use of the grant may be requested from recipients. 

The grant recipient must provide information and documents that allow the grantor to monitor the proper use of the grant. If the association has activities other than those for which the grant has been awarded, the documents must clearly show the content and costs of the activities for which the grant has been awarded.

The grant recipient must organize their accounting and auditing in accordance with legal requirements. 

If a grant is not applied for the following year, the use of the grant must be reported according to the schedule specified in the decision. The following documents must be submitted to report the use of the grant: 

• The realized budget of the festival/event
• Signed financial statement of organization including the profit and loss account and balance sheet with notes, as well as the annual report. The profit and loss account must include account and sub-account as well as cost centre-specific calculation
• The auditor’s and/or operational inspector’s statement (audit/inspection report) 

If the grant has been at least 50 000 euros, the organization must also submit: 

• Any memos and minutes from auditors and/or operational inspectors from the previous financial year
• A breakdown of the balance sheet and a certified or signed extract from the annual meeting minutes regarding the section where the above-mentioned annual report and financial statements were addressed